Recipe of the week: A cheater’s guide to super-crusty steaks

The perfect steak is salty, sizzling, and singed on the outside, said the editors of Cook’s Country. But the inside should be “juicy, red, and almost buttery.” Most steakhouses achieve this ideal contrast by using industrial-strength grills or broilers to create a formidable crust. These appliances can build up a substantial caramelized crust because they often reach quadruple-digit temperatures that quickly evaporate surface moisture. Home ovens or grills seldom get to more than 500 degrees. “So you can kiss good crust goodbye.”

Yet we’ve found a way to create a decent imitation of a steakhouse crust. We put unwrapped steaks in a freezer for an hour before grilling. (Putting them in overnight to “quick-age” also works, but seems too much of a bother for a simple grilled steak.) This shortcut succeeded in dehydrating the exteriors enough that they were able to develop “a first-class crust.” An even faster method is to thoroughly salt the steaks, then put them in the freezer for just 30 minutes. My kitchen may not have “the swagger and mahogany of a steakhouse,” but that night it did serve a perfect steak.

Recipe of the week

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Super-Crusty Char-Grilled Steaks

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cornstarch

4 strip, rib-eye, or tenderloin steaks, about 1.5-inch thick

Pepper

Chill the steaks: Combine the salt and cornstarch. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels and rub with salt mixture. Arrange on a wire rack set inside the rimmed baking sheet and freeze until the steaks

are firm and dry to the touch, at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

Grill the steaks: Season the steaks with pepper. Grill, covered, over a hot fire until they are well browned and cooked to the desired doneness, 4 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, tent with foil, and let them rest 5 minutes. Serve. Serves 4.

Classic steak sauce

Raisins may seem unusual, but they add depth and sweetness.

1⁄3 cup raisins

1/2 cup boiling water

1/4 cup ketchup

3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp white vinegar

Salt and pepper

Combine the raisins and water in a bowl and let sit, covered, until the raisins are plump, about 5 minutes. Purée the raisin mixture, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and vinegar in a blender until

it is smooth. Season with salt and pepper. (The sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 1 week.)

Makes 1.25 cups.